Trader’s View: March Madness in focus

First held in 1939, March Madness has grown to become one of the biggest and most watched sporting events in the US and beyond, offering huge opportunities to engage bettors all over the globe.

With the 1st Round getting underway tomorrow (March 20), US Sports Trader Harrison Haushalter shares his thoughts on what is set to be another fascinating competition.

What makes March Madness such an exciting event for sports betting?

March Madness is one of the most watched and culturally relevant sporting events in all of the USA. Picking a bracket is a yearly tradition for many, and the ‘anything is possible’ feel to results year after year always has people tuning in. The bracket helps provide a rooting interest in teams not traditionally tied to the customer than can be further supported by a betting stake.

March Madness is watched by plenty more people than the traditional betting base, unlocking high potential for operators to further the reach of their product. There is no time there will be more eyes on the sport of college basketball all year long, and that is an opportunity to capitalise on. 

Who are the March Madness favourites? Are there any dark horses?

Among the favourites are Duke Blue Devils and Auburn Tigers who have been up front all year long. Both are well coached, have deep squads and plenty of offence making them exciting teams to watch. Joining them are a bundle of Southeastern Conference teams such as Florida, Tennessee and Alabama, all in contention, alongside the ever-consistent Houston who will be a factor once again.

Dark horses and teams to watch include St. John’s, led by legendary coach Rick Pitino who has guided the program back to relevance. Louisville, his former program, is having a huge bounce back year and will be a factor in March.

Who are some of the players to keep an eye on?

Cooper Flagg (Duke) is a star freshman living up to every bit of the hype, and is expected to be the number one overall NBA draft pick come this summer. He goes into the tournament with a niggling injury but is still expected to feature heavily. Johni Broome (Auburn) is a senior star leading possibly the best team in the country with an excellent all-around skillset.

Braden Smith (Purdue) was a supporting player on last year’s national championship final team and returns with another high-level Purdue team, while Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida) is a senior leader with a strong offensive game, and will be determined to lead Florida back to the Final Four.

Can you expand on the key parts of the Kambi offer?

Kambi will have a vast March Madness offering with customers able to bet on a variety of odds — from how far a team advances, to a 16 seed to pulling a massive upset, to if a team with a colour in the name will reach the Final Four — our operators will be able to service all kinds of bettors. Alongside an extensive selection of player props, Kambi’s Bet Builder will also be front and centre, giving bettors the opportunity to combine multiple selections across different games to drive even further engagement.

The NCAAB season so far:

Top 10 teams by turnover

1. 1 – Kansas Jayhawks
2. 2 – Alabama Crimson Tide
3. 3 – Duke Blue Devils
4. 4 – Auburn Tigers
5. 5 – Michigan State Spartans
6. 6 – Florida Gators
7. 7 – Michigan Wolverines
8. 8 – Kentucky Wildcats
9. 9 – Houston Cougars
10. 10 – Connecticut Huskies

Top 10 players by turnover

1. 1 – Cooper Flagg (Duke Blue Devils)
2. 2 – Braden Smith (Purdue Boilermakers)
3. 3 – Johnell Davis (Arkansas Razorbacks)
4. 4 – Vladislav Goldin (Michigan Wolverines)
5. 5 – Johni Broome (Auburn Tigers)
6. 6 – Danny Wolf (Michigan Wolverines)
7. 7 – Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue Boilermakers)
8. 8 – Oumar Ballo (Indiana Hoosiers)
9. 9 – Boogie Fland (Arkansas Razorbacks)
10. 10 – Adou Thiero (Arkansas Razorbacks)